Minnesota Vikings Safety Madieu Williams Finalist For Walter Payton Man Of The Year Award
by Christopher Gates on Jan 24, 2011 2:28 PM CST
in Minnesota Vikings
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Vikings' safety Madieu Williams got a lot of negative recognition around here. . .deservedly, for the most part. . .for his play on the field in 2010. Through all of that, I've always maintained that Williams may have been lousy at safety this year, but he has always been a great humanitarian.
It appears as though the NFL agrees with me, as Madieu Williams has been announced as one of this year's three finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. The other two finalists are Nnamdi Asomugha of the Oakland Raiders and Israel Idonije of the Chicago Bears.
Here's a list of Williams' accomplishments from the press release that I was sent.
Williams’ charitable works have achieved local, national and global impact. Locally, he works with the North Community YMCA, United Way and Harvest Prep/Seed Academy and provides season tickets for the kids in his "Dieu’s Crew" program. Williams also hosted a free football camp in Maryland, where he was raised, this past summer, and continues to support the Cincinnati area after a stint playing for the Bengals. Globally, Williams made a $2 million donation to create the Madieu Williams Center for Global Health at the University of Maryland, where he attended college. The center will address public health issues in Prince George’s County and Sierra Leone, where Williams was born. He has already built a primary school in the African nation and is now building a secondary school there as well. His foundation sponsored a mission to Sierra Leone that brought American teachers, surgeons and dentists to help educate the teachers at his school, give free dental cleanings to all of the students and provide free surgeries. Williams came to the Vikings as a free agent in 2008 and has been a stalwart in the defensive backfield. He has started 38 of his 39 games and notched a career-best 96 tackles in 2010. Williams is a leader on the Vikings defense that has ranked in the NFL’s top 10 each of his three seasons with the club. Williams led the Vikings DBs in tackles in 2009 when the team advanced to the NFC Championship game.
The winner of the award will be announced on Fox just before the Super Bowl on February 6. Asomugha and Idonije will be in attendance at the event, but Madieu Williams will not. . .because he's already got a commitment to visit troops serving in the Persian Gulf as part of Super Bowl week. Yeah. . .I guess that's an excusable absence.
Congratulations to Madieu Williams on his recognition for works that will stand long after his playing career has finished.
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Good job Madieu
To be fair, if we are going to rip on him when he’s playing poorly, we should praise him while he’s living a charitable life.
by Jepp The Viking on Jan 24, 2011 2:48 PM CST reply actions
Gotta give credit where credit is due.
He is more of a human-being than I will ever be.
Although, last year, I did ‘text-donate’ $10 to Haiti during the NFCC game. Admittedly, I did it in hopes of some good karma.
Love his philanthropic work
Which at the end of the day means a lot more than anything a guy could do on the field.
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See, you think I give a shit. Wrong. In fact, while you talk, I’m thinking; How can I give less of shit? That’s why I look interested."
Let's all be fair here.
Would we want a freakin’ awesome human being like this guy, who can’t play safety worth a crap associated with our team… or a quarterback looking to get his third Super Bowl ring while hoping to avoid his third rape charge? I hope I speak for everyone here when, putting it into that perspective, I say…
SKOL, Madieu Williams!!!!
Hate to be a cynical jerk
but if the QB had won two of the Super Bowls with the Vikings and had taken them to a third, I’d rather have the QB.
I applaud WIlliams and his commitment to giving back and helping others, but I don’t cheer for the Vikings because they’re all humanitarians of the year. I cheer for them because they’re on the Vikings, and if a guy can help them win a Super Bowl, sign him.
And let’s just say hypothetically that Ben Roethlisberger becomes available in the off season.
I will be number one in line screaming “SIGN HIM!!”.
The Daily Norseman
Off Tackle Empire
SB Nation Minnesota
See, you think I give a shit. Wrong. In fact, while you talk, I’m thinking; How can I give less of shit? That’s why I look interested."
Is that even a legitimate question?
Does his charity work make all of his missed tackles and blown coverages easier to stomach?
It’s awesome that he does all these things, but I’ll take two Super Bowls and a possible third over that any day of the week.
"Baseball is the only major sport that appears backward in a mirror" ~George Carlin
by thewild_viking_twins on Jan 24, 2011 6:56 PM CST up reply actions
Bleh.
Maybe it’s the fact that it’s ‘rape’, and maybe I’m a bit of a homer for totally blowing over Favre’s alleged inappropriatness, but to me at the end of the day it comes down to ‘football is just a game’. To me, as a human being first and a football fan second, I can never support an (admitedly alleged) rapist in any endeavour they pursue, be it in acting, singing, politics, or football. For that reason, I couldn’t stand the idea of Roethlisberger being on our team. Vick at least paid for his crimes and seems to have truly reformed- not to mention, dog lover as I am, there’s just no comparison between killing dogs and raping women. So yes, I could take Vick as our QB (and if he becomes available… I"m first in line screaming “SIGN HIM!!” myself).
That said- yeah, I’m not a fan of M. Williams on the field, and I hope I’ve seen his last season as a Viking. They are paid millions and adored by just as many for their football field exploits, and he hasn’t done anything to earn either- so for the Vikings and as a football fan, I’m all for saying adios to the dude.
But again, no, I couldn’t support signing Roethlisberger, because I genuinely hope he fails at everything he tries to accomplish from this point forward due to his actions. I’m still rooting for the Steelers, in a way, against the Packers- as a team. That’s hypocritical I know. But I still can’t get over the fact that he got away with what he did, essentially scott free, while, for example, Plaxico Burress is sitting in a Jets-oriented prison for basically just being a complete dumbass, and not having in fact hurt anyone (except himself).
Bravo Madieu!
We busted your chops this year but these achievements will be long remembored by a lot of folks long after this season leaves our memory (kinda has already)
Keep up the good works. Work hard yourself this off-season. Good things happen to good people. If so, you’ll be back to form.
May the Good Lord shower you with blessings for all you unselfishly do for others.
AKA : Revenge4Webb
A very impressive list of....
off the field accomplishments by an obviously caring individual. Manute Bol was also well known for “remembering where he came from.” You do the Lord’s work when you try to make the lives’ of others better.
However, the article embellished just a bit when it referred to MW as a defensive “stalwart.” I am sure contributors to the DN would not have let that one stand had it been posted by a contributor.
Career best 96 tackles in 2010???
When did that happen? Did he get 90 tackles in the first 10 minutes of our first game against the Lions? (I was late to watch that game.) Cuz I swear I saw maybe 6 tackles otherwise, and I’m pretty sure I saw all the games. Was there a secret Vikings game I didn’t know about that he did really well in?
Oh wait...
probably a typo. I believe they meant, “a career worst 96 missed tackles in 2010.”
Hey, we all make typos, it happens.
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